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FINDING A GUIDING LIGHT

[left] The annunciation, artist unknown, Petites heures d'Anne de Bretagne (Little Book of Hours of Anne of Brittany), 1503. The featured image for 2010 is The annunciation from Petites heures d'Anne de Bretagne (Little Book of Hours of Anne of Brittany). The annunciation found in Luke 1:28 - 32 describes the visitation of the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary. In this story, the angel is sent by God to Nazareth to give Mary the news of the impending virgin birth. The annunciation is a popular motif in Christian art and is associated with the office of Matins in The little office of the blessed Virgin Mary.

Over the past several years I have explored the 'feminine' as it is expressed in art, collective values, and world mythology. During 2010 not only did I journal on the four synoptic gospels and several illuminated manuscripts but I continued my exploration of the feminine in my personal religious tradition, Christianity. A vision quest is a sacred rite of passage found in the Native American tradition. In this ritual boys on the verge of manhood undertake an arduous wilderness experience which they believe will reveal their life's spiritual direction and calling. They also believe that during this rite they will find the guardian spirit who will guide and protect them through the rest of their life. This idea is one which resonates with 2010: a quest for the guiding feminine principal in my personal tradition. And any search for the feminine in Christianity will always lead to the complex figure of Mary. At this writing the image that is strongest for me is that of the very young woman who has an encounter with an angel. Luke describes her in that moment as entirely human and her humanity speaks to me. She is tentative, afraid and puzzled by the instruction the angel brings but she commits to it nonetheless. I use the word 'commit' intentionally here because I believe that this moment is often interpreted as one of passive surrender rather than active commitment. This moment illustrates the traditional 'feminine' value of service to the collective good. But it is also a moment which illustrates the feminine passive coupled with the feminine active. In other words, surrender to the events which one cannot control while committing to how one will respond and act within those events. And that is the guiding light which I take with me from the past year's writing. I have selected a few highlights from the year and they follow next.

AUTUMN 2010

THE APOSTLE JOHN

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. John 1:1-5 [KJV]

According to church tradition, John is the author of several New Testament writings: the Gospel of John, the three Epistles of John and the Book of Revelation. However, there is disagreement among modern scholars as to the authorship of the Book of Revelation. In this debate, there is a distinction drawn between the Apostle John and the John of Patmos, who is the author of Revelation. John, also known as the beloved disciple, was a fisherman and a disciple of John the Baptist before joining the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. The New Testament portrays him as a favorite of Christ, the only disciple who stayed with him during the crucifixion, and the one who promised to honor Christ's request to care for his mother Mary. John was the only disciple to survive into old age, dying of natural causes at the age of 94. He is the patron saint of writers and his feast day is December 27.   [right] Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry, Saint John on the island of Patmos, the vision of the Apocalypse. The Musée Condé, Chantilly. 1410.

AUTUMN 2010

THE RESURRECTION

Self-portrait of the artist [ca. 1415-92] from The resurrection [left] The resurrection. Piero della Francesca. 1460. Museo Civico. Sansepolcro, Italy. Sansepolcro, the birthplace of Francesca, translates as 'holy sepulchre'.

Piero della Francesca was an Italian artist who also was an accomplished mathematician and geometer. His mathematical knowledge influenced his art as evidenced by his use of foreshortening, geometric forms and innovative perspectives. The resurrection is one of his mature works and features the artist as one of the sleeping soldiers at the feet of Christ. The painting is set at dawn, at the very moment of resurrection. The theme of new life is mirrored in the trees in the background, with the trees on the left still leafless and dormant and the trees on the right flush with growth.

AUTUMN 2010

THE RESURRECTION HYPOTHESIS

According to Christian tradition, Jesus of Nazareth returned from the dead in bodily form three days after his execution. There were multiple witnesses to his resurrection and their accounts are documented in the New Testament. However, there are other theories for the post-resurrection sightings which argue for alternate explanations of the events.

Under the "vision theory", witnesses to the resurrection had visionary experiences of the resurrected Christ rather than actual encounters. The "swoon theory" proposes that Christ did not die on the cross but fainted instead, thus appearing to have died. A related theory holds that Luke, the physician-disciple, assisted Christ in feigning his death through the use of drugs. A final explanation, the "stolen body theory" suggests that the disappearance of the body of Christ following the crucifixion and entombment was arranged by followers of Christ, specifically Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. The goal in the stolen body conspiracy was to mask the actual death thereby lending support to the assertion that Jesus of Nazareth was the prophesied messiah and had triumphed over death.   [left] Mary Magdalene narrates the news of the resurrection to the apostles. Saint Albans Psalter, Saint Godehard's Church. Hildesheim, UK.

AUTUMN 2010

THE MYRRH-BEARERS

[left] Mariya Magdalena. Anthony Frederic Augustus Sandys. 1858 - 60. Samuel and Mary R. Bancroft Memorial, Delaware Art Museum. Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. Mark 16:9 - 11 Myrrh [Latin myrrha, Greek myrrha, meaning 'was bitter'] refers to the plants of the genus Myrrhis and/or the resin from those plants. Myrrh resin is used in some perfumes, incense and medicines.

The term 'myrrh-bearers' refers to a group of first century women who assumed various roles in the events surrounding the crucifixion, entombment and resurrection of Christ. This included the ritual practice of dressing his corpse with ointments and spices, myrrh among the agents used in this practice. Traditional lists of the myrrh-bearers focus on eight women: Mary, the mother of Christ; Mary Magdalene; Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus; Salome; Susanna; Mary, the wife of Clopas; and Joanna.

The most significant role of the myrrh-bearers is as first witnesses to the resurrection. The post-crucifixion accounts found in the New Testament detail the discovery of the empty tomb by several women and their vision of an angel who announced the resurrection. Mary Magdalene is pivotal in these accounts as they identify her as the first witness of the resurrected Christ. During that encounter, he instructs her to notify the disciples of his return. Consequently, the Christian church recognizes her as "equal to the apostles" or "the apostle to the apostles". In Greek Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Churches the second Sunday after Easter is the Feast of the Holy Myrrh-bearers [also known as the Sunday of the Myrrh-bearing Women].     [left] The anointment and visitation of the myrrh-bearers. Artist unknown. Ingeborg Psalter. ca. 13th Century.

AUTUMN 2010

A BOX ON MY HEAD

A farm mother and her child. ca. 20th Century. National Archives. Someone in the southeastern United States recently bought one of my paintings and yesterday I mailed it to him. In order to save shipping costs, I packed the box myself. The end result weighed just over seven pounds and measured an unwieldy 33" by 41" by 3". In other words, though light in weight, the box was still long enough and wide enough to be extremely difficult to carry. Unwieldy-ness notwithstanding, since the Fed Ex satellite store was only a few blocks away, I decided to carry it there myself. While making my way up Broadway, the box slipped and shifted constantly. I tried several ways of carrying it but none worked for very long. Finally I had an inspiration and lifted the box up to my head and in that way I successfully made it to the Fed Ex store. What a comical sight I must have made, like some Dr. Seuss imagining -- a quite tall, so freckled, white lady with a box growing out of her head. Which brings me to what happened yesterday on the way to the Fed ex store: I experienced the workings of my mythic eye. My lens on the world is my "mythic eye." That means I tend to use symbols and metaphors when interpreting the world around me. And yesterday my mythic eye contemplated the spectacle of walking down Broadway with a box growing out of my head and saw something larger. It's kind of hard to explain but in that particular moment I felt connected to other women, possibly all other women, women and how they work through their day, whether raising children or governing countries or walking around with boxes on their head. And I saw my part in that bigger picture as both unique and yet also universal. For a few moments I experienced the beautiful groove of my life and how amazing that felt to be in it. And interestingly, that moment came not at my easel -- but while managing the details of my daily life. (top to bottom) A group of women weaving, Italy, ca. 1900; Olga Preograjenska, Russian prima ballerina, 1896; Charlotte Brontë, writer and poet, 1854; Ellen Terry, British actress, as Beatrice in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, 1908; A mother and children walking, San Francisco, ca. 1910; Rosa Parks, civil rights activist, pictured here with Dr. Martin Luther King, 1955; Mahalia Jackson, gospel singer, 1962; A group of polio ward nurses, 1958; Virginia Woolf, feminist writer, 1882-1941

SUMMER 2010

SAINT LUKE

Saint Luke drawing a portrait of the Virgin. Rogier van der Weyden. 1435 - 40. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Luke, an apostle of Christ, was a doctor and writer credited with the authorship of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. Tradition also credits Luke with painting the first icon of Mary and Jesus. The Guild of Saint Luke, one of the earliest artists guilds, takes its name from this association. Luke is the patron saint of artists and healers. His feast day is October 18.

SUMMER 2010

THE GUILD OF SAINT LUKE

Judith Leyster , self-portrait. 1630. National Gallery of Art. Washington, DC. In 1633 she was the first woman to join the Haarlem guild. Self-portrait. Caterina van Hemessen. 1548. Öffentliche Kunstsammlung, Basel. Van Hemessen's self-portrait is the earliest known example of an artist seated at an easel. After 1554, there is no artwork which can be identified as hers. This leads art historians to speculate that her creative career ended with her marriage.

The Guild of Saint Luke was a specific organization of European artists within the larger guild system which prospered between the 14th and 18th centuries. Earliest guild members were primarily manuscript illuminators; however, over time, guild memberships often varied to include scribes, visual artists, sculptors, art dealers, art patrons, painters and decorators. The Guild of Saint Luke, taking its name from the apostle credited with painting the first icon of Mary, was one of the earliest forms of these artist guilds. It exercised considerable control and power regulating the training of apprentices and sale of art. The mediation of disputes between artists or artist and clients were also a matter of guild control. Guild apprenticeships usually lasted three to five years after which artists became journeyman and free to work for any guild member. It was not until they later became free masters that could set up their own shops, apprentice young artists, and sell their work and the work of others. Though not in all cases, guilds usually excluded women from memberships and from becoming free masters. Two notable exceptions to this practice were Caterina van Hemessen who joined the famous Guild of Saint Luke in Antwerp and Judith Leyster who was a member of the guild in Haarlem. By the 17th century, the guilds were in decline. This was due to the movement toward academy style education which separated art training from the actual sale of it. Another factor was the tension which developed between guild artists and court painters who served specific monarchs. Very few guilds survived to the end of the 18th century.

SUMMER 2010

HODEGETRIA OF SMOLENSK

Theotokos of Smolensk. Dionisius version. ca 1500.

THEOTOKOS [Greek, Θεοτόκος, god-bearer; one who gives birth to God]   HODEGETRIA [Greek, Οδηγήτρια, she who shows the way]

The Hodegetria [Greek, Οδηγήτρια, she who shows the way] is an artistic motif which features the Virgin Mary pointing to the infant Christ whom she holds in her arms. This traditional composition conveys the idea of Christ as the vehicle of salvation. Church tradition identifies Saint Luke as the artist of the first version of the Hodegetria. That icon was a full-length, double-sided version which featured an image of the crucifixion on the reverse. There are many copies of that work but it is likely that the original is now lost.

SUMMER 2010

THE BLACK MADONNA OF CZESTOCHOWA

The Black Madonna of Czestochowa is an icon which is both the national symbol of Poland and its most venerated relic. Dating the piece is difficult due to the technique which was used to repair it following its vandalism by a group of Husseite raiders in 1430. Legend links the icon to Saint Luke who is said to have painted it on a tabletop which belonged to the Holy Family. Another legend, connected to the raid of 1430, explains the two slashes across the cheek of the Virgin Mary. In this tradition, after raiding the Pauline monastery which contained it in 1430, a Hussite slashed the icon with a sword and the cheek began to bleed. This icon is credited with several miraculous events, including the preservation of the monastery and holy icon itself during a fire. However, the smoke from the flames of that fire permanently darkened the pigments in the painting. [left] Black Madonna of Częstochowa. artist and date unknown. The Jasna Góra Monastery, Częstochowa, Poland.

SPRING 2010

THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

Saint Matthew, Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry, 1410. The Musée Condé, Chantilly. In the New Testament, Matthew is a tax collector whom Jesus calls into service as one of the original twelve apostles. Following the death of Jesus, Matthew preached the Gospel in Hebrew in Judea. During his later ministry his work focused on the Gentiles. Some sources report that he died of natural causes in either Ethiopia or Macedonia. Church tradition holds that he was martyred. Early church sources credit Matthew with writing a first gospel known as the Gospel of the Hebrews which survived him. According to one tradition, the original text was in Hebrew. This text was later translated into Greek but was lost. The Hebrew version was held at the Library of Caesarea and was copied for the use of Jerome in the 5th Century. Only writing fragments from Matthew's Gospel of the Hebrews remain. All full text copies have been lost. Some scholars attribute the authorship of The Gospel of Matthew (New Testament) to a late first century Jewish Christian. Christian tradition, however, credits the disciple Matthew with the work. The Gospel of Matthew is the first of the four canonical writings and presents Christ as the fulfillment of Jewish Messianic prophecies. The text focuses on the childhood, adult ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus. Though sharing material with both the Gospels of Mark and Luke, the infancy narratives are unique to the Gospel of Matthew. The most famous passages in this text include the Sermon on the Mount and the Great Commission. The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), which has such notable passages as the Beatitudes and The Lord's Prayer, has presented a template for Christian discipleship for many notable world leaders, including Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Saint Matthew as an angel. Artist unknown. 13th Century. The British Library, London.   THE BEATITUDES Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:1-10 (KJV)

SPRING 2010

THE BOOK OF HOURS

A prayer to St. Christopher. The Hastings Hours. Artist unknown. ca. 1470. The British Library, London. The book of hours was a Christian devotional of writings, psalms and prayers, popular in the Middle Ages and intended for use by the laity. The books were usually written in Latin though vernacular forms were not uncommon. The practice of reciting the hours was meant to provide the individual with a more immediate relationship with God and the Virgin Mary. The standard components included a calendar of church feasts, the Hours of the Virgin, the Hours of the Cross, the Hours of the Holy Spirit, the Office for the Dead, and the Suffrages. The books varied in decorative content. Simpler versions contained only ornamental letters. More lavish versions, commissioned by wealthy patrons, featured richly executed full page illustrations or miniatures. One outstanding example of this manuscript, Les Très Riches Heures (The very rich hours of the Duke of Berry), is possibly the single most valuable book in the world.

Mary and the Christ child, Jean Fouquet. Simon de Varie book of hours, ca 1455.   THE CANONICAL HOURS The canonical hours are distinct intervals of time between the daily prayers. A book of hours contains these prayers. In the Roman and Anglican traditions the canonical hours are also known as 'offices'. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, they are called 'the divine services' and The Books of Hours is called a Horologian (῾Ωρολόγιον).

SPRING 2010

THE LITTLE OFFICE OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

The annunciation, Limbourg Brothers, The Belles Heures of Jean of France, Duke of Berry*. Ink, tempera, and gold leaf on vellum; The Cloisters Collection. Metropolitan Museum of Art. ca. 1406-09. *Item, une belles Heures, tres bien et richement historiees (Item, a beautiful hours, very well and richly illuminated) The little office of the blessed Virgin Mary is a weekly devotional cycle consisting of psalms, hymns and sacred readings. It began in the eighth century as a monastic spiritual practice. By the tenth century it had come into more widespread use and was a standard text in the book of hours. By the fourteenth century it was obligatory practice for all clergy. This ritual remained in widespread usage until Pope Paul VI recommended to the church that practitioners use the Divine Office in lieu of The little office of the blessed Virgin Mary "so that they may participate more intimately in the liturgical life of the Church...." Following this instruction by the Pope, many congregations abandoned the office in order to adopt the Liturgy of the hours. However, there have been several editions of The little office since then and it has never been out of print.

In the Middle Ages books were usually displayed on ornate stands [detail above from The Belles Heures]. Since books were scarce and quite valuable it was not unusual for books to be chained to their stands as a measure against theft.

SPRING 2010

THE COMMISSIONS OF JEAN FRANCE, DUC DE BERRY

Jean de France, Duke of Berry, study of a sculpture by Jean de Cambrai. Hans Holbein the Younger. 1523/24. Kunstmuseum Basel. Jean, Duc de Berry [1340-1416], was the third of four sons born to King John II of France. He was heavily involved in the court intrigue which surrounded the reign of his mentally ill nephew, Charles VI. From 1382-88, he served as Regent along with Charles' maternal uncle, the Duke of Bourbon. When his only surviving brother, Philip the Bold, died in 1404, Jean assumed the role of peacemaker, mediating disputes between his warring nephews. He was married twice. With his first wife, Joanna of Armagnac [1346-1387], he had five children. The year following Joanna's death, he married his second wife, Joan II, Countess of Auvergne and Boulogne [1378-1434]. Jean is perhaps remembered most for his extensive patronage of the arts. His commissions include many illuminated manuscripts as well as the Holy Thorn Reliquary and the Royal Gold Cup, also known as the Saint Agnes Cup. His cultivation of art and artists severely impacted his wealth and when he died in the plague of 1416, he was heavily in debt. Les Petite Heures (The little hours) was commissioned by the duke in 1373. Originally, five illuminators worked on the illustrations, among them Jean Le Noir, the era's leading artist in French book illustration. Art historians credit him with the Passion of Christ, the office of John the Baptist, and an illumination for the penitential psalms. When Le Noir died in 1375, production of the book halted for almost a decade. In 1385 other artists were brought into the project [Jacquemart, Master of the Trinity, and the Pseudo-Jacquemart], completing it by 1390. In 1400, the duke commissioned the Limbourg brothers to add a final miniature. Presently, this book is is part of the special collections of the Bibliothèque nationale in Paris. The Turin-Milan Hours was commissioned at some point during the decade of 1380-90. It is believed that Jean de Berry is responsible for this commission. The project was an unusual one as it was not intended to be a standard book of hours but rather an extravagantly illuminated manuscript which contained not only the book of hours but a prayer-book and missal as well. In 1413 the Duke gave the book to his treasurer Robert D'estampes who divided the still incomplete manuscript, selling the missal and prayer book and retaining the book of hours. Très Belles Heures de Notre-Dame de Duc Jean de Berry is the book of hours portion of The Turin-Milan Hours. Robert D'Estampes, treasurer to Jean de Berry, retained this portion of the larger manuscript in his personal effects and it remained in his family until the 1700's. It is now in the Bibliothèque nationale de France, a bequest from the Rothschild family in the 1950's. Saint John the Baptist, Limbourg Brothers, The Petite Heures of Jean of France, Duke of Berry. ca. 15th Century. Bibliothèque nationale de France. The Turin Hours is the prayer book portion of The Turin-Milan Hours, sold by Robert D'Estampes to John, Count of Holland. During this ownership, historians identify eleven different artists who were hired to illuminate the work. By the mid-1400's the manuscript was in the court of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy. It was during this period that the noted Flemish artist Jan Van Eyck contributed to the illustrations. By 1479 this section belonged to the House of Savoy who gave it to the National Library in Turin in 1720. A fire in 1904 destroyed the manuscript. The Milan Hours is the missal portion of The Turin-Milan Hours, sold by Robert D'Estampes to John, Count of Holland. The Milan Hours and The Turin Hours remained together until the Milan Hours was taken by an Italian collector to Paris in 1800. As a result, the missal was spared the destruction which befell the prayer book section in the Turin fire. In 1935 Turin acquired The Milan Hours [minus eight leaves] and it is presently part of the collection at the Turin Civic Museum. Four leaves from this manuscript are at the Louvre Museum in Paris. In 2000 the Getty Museum bought a single leaf from a private collection in Belgium. Les Belles Heures (Item, une belles Heures, tres bien et richement historiees [Item, a beautiful hours, very well and richly illuminated]) features exclusively the illumination work of the Limbourg Brothers - Herman, Paul and John. Commissioned by Jean France, Duke of Berry, in 1405, the brothers finished the book in 1409. The Limbourg brothers were unusually close to the duke and were commissioned by him for several different book of hours. In this version, they added more artwork than originally planned, creating seven picture book cycles with three to twelve full page illuminations in each cycle. This illumination is noted for its strong emotional content, unusual for painting during this period. The book is presently in the Cloisters Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York). Les Grandes heures de Jean de France, duc de Berry, (The grand hours of the Duke of Berry) is the largest book of hours from the duke's many commissions. History credits Pseudo-Jacquemart with its illuminations. The work was completed around 1409 and is part of the special collections of the Bibliothèque nationale in Paris. Les Très Riches Heures (The very rich hours of the Duke of Berry) is a book of hours commissioned by Jean France Duc de Berry around 1410. Over a century in the making, the book has more than 400 pages and features 131 large scale illustrations. It is possibly the single most valuable book in the world and is considered the most important illuminated manuscript of the 15th Century, earning the distinction "le roi des manuscrits enluminés" (the king of illuminated manuscripts). Artists associated with the creation of this manuscript include the Limbourg brothers (Netherlands), Barthélemy van Eyck (Netherlands), and Jean Colombe (France). In 1416, while this masterpiece was in process, the Duke and the Limbourg brothers all succumbed to the plague. This manuscript is part of the collection of The Musée Condé in Chantilly, France. [left] January, Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry, 1410. The Musée Condé, Chantilly. Jean de France is featured in this illumination as one of the guests at the banquet table [far right center in blue gown and fur cap].

WINTER 2010

MARK AS THE LION

The Book of Kells features a plate depicting the four evangelists in their traditionally symbolic form: Matthew [human/angel], Mark [lion], Luke [ox] and John [eagle]. There are several biblical sources for these symbols, including Ezekiel 1:1-14, Ezekiel 10:1-22, Daniel 7:1-8 and Revelation 4:7-8. Around the throne, and on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: 4:7 the first living creature like a LION, the second living creature like an OX, the third living creature with a face like a HUMAN face, and the fourth living creature like a flying EAGLE. 4:8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and inside. Revelation 4:7-8 Some scholars believe that Mark was viewed like a son by the disciple Peter and that this chapter of the New Testament most closely reflects Peter's view of the Christ: a servant sent by God to accomplish a specific task. The Gospels of Matthew and Luke use the Gospel of Mark and the Q document as their primary sources.

The Four Evangelists [detail of Mark as the Lion]. The Book of Kells. Trinity College, Dublin. ca. 800 AD.   THE Q DOCUMENT A theoretical lost source for the Gospels of Matthew and Luke which contains Jesus' sayings in Greek. Though scholars speculate on its existence, no fragment has ever been found.

WINTER 2010

THE BOOK OF KELLS

Virgin and child. The Book of Kells. Trinity College, Dublin. ca. 800 AD. This illustration is the oldest extant depiction of the Virgin Mary in a Western manuscript. The Book of Kells, also known as The Book of Columba, is an illuminated manuscript containing the Four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) in Latin. It is a masterwork of Western calligraphy and insular illustration. Insular art (insula/island) refers to both script and illustration and was a style unique to Britain and Ireland, originating out of Irish monasticism. The famous manuscript derives its name from the Abbey of Kells. First founded by St. Columba in 554 AD, the abbey became a refuge for monks fleeing the Viking raids of Iona. It is possible that the monks began the transcription of the Book of Kells in Iona and completed it at the Abbey of Kells several generations later. Viking raids continued at the Abbey of Kells and in 1006 the Book of Kells was stolen. Two months later the abbey recovered the manuscript, now missing its front and back covers and the beginning and ending illustrations. Since 1953 The Book of Kells has been bound in four volumes. It is on permanent display at the Trinity College Library of Dublin and considered Ireland's finest national treasure.

Insular script. Gospel of John. The Book of Kells       CALLIGRAPHY (Greek kallos/beauty + graphé/writing) an ornamental form of creating letters which involves decorative strokes

WINTER 2010

MADONNA DELLA MISERICORDIA

Misericordia Polyptych [Madonna della Misericordia]. Piero della Franchesca. 1460-62. Pinacoteca Comunale, Sansepolcro. This painting contains a self-portrait of the artist, third from the left, kneeling at the feet of Mary. See also: The resurrection. The Madonna della Misericordia or Virgin of Mercy is a traditional motif in Christian art which displays the Virgin Mary with an outstretched mantle. In the image, she uses her mantle to protect her worshippers. Artwork commissions with this theme were often made by groups [e.g., families, convents, guilds] who then were incorporated into the piece. Usually, the group is represented kneeling and of a smaller scale than the Madonna. Martin Luther scorned the image, likening it to "a hen with her chicks". The oldest extant version is a small 13th Century piece by Duccio. The most famous example is The Madonna della Misericordia or The Polyptych of Misericordia, an altarpiece by Piero della Francesca in the Pinacoteca Comunale of Sansepolcro. Here Francesca features the Madonna as the centerpiece of the polyptych, flanked by the Virgin of the Annunciation, various saints, and images of the life of Christ. The piece was commissioned in 1445 by the Compagnia della Misericordia and was completed in 1462.

Madonna of Mercy. Sano di Pietro. ca. 1440. Private collection     POLYPTYCH [Greek poluptukha/having many folds] work of art composed of multiple panels, usually four or more. Diptych refers to two paneled pieces and triptych refers to those with three.     Madonna of the Franciscans. Duccio di Buoninsegna. 1280. Pinacoteca Nazionale, Siena.

WINTER 2010

MADONNA DEL PARTO

Madonna del Parto. Piero della Franchesca. ca. 1459. Museo della Madonna del Parto, Monterchi. The Madonna del Parto [Madonna of childbirth] is a fresco painting by Piero della Francesca. One historical account reports that Francesca completed the piece in seven days while in Sansepolcro for his mother's death [1459]. The painting features a liberal amount of blu oltremare, also known as ultramarinum [beyond the sea], obtained from imported lapis lazuli. Popular with Italian painters in the fourteenth and fifteenth centures, blu oltermare was also very expensive, at times exceeding gold in cost. Artists were sparing in their use of it, reserving the color for the robes of the Virgin Mary and the Christ child. The motif of Madonna del Parto is one found in Tuscan art beginning in the 14th C. In these paintings, the Madonna usually stands alone and holds a closed book over her belly, signifying her embodiment of the incarnate word. Here Francesca reveals her within a pavillon, with two angels opening its panels. This opening is then mirrored in the panels of the Virgin Mary's robes. One interpretation describes the pavillon as representing the orginal Ark of the Covenant. In this context, the pregnant mother of Christ then becomes the vessel for the new covenant.

Madonna del Parto. Nardo Cione. ca. 1355-60. Museo Bandini, Fiesole.